Sight for toy guns



April 25, 1939. T R. ARDEN 2,155,391

SIGHT FOR TOY GUNS Filed April 4, 1938 QW/0%@ W,

es, tradition. las l Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIGHT FOR TOY GUNS Thomas R. Arden, Baldwin, N. Y., assignor to Ultrad Products, Incorporated, a corporation of New York Application April 4, 1938, Serial No. 199,740

7 Claims.

This invention relates to sights for guns, and has for its general object to provide a sight which simulates in appearance a standard telescopic sight, which includes a lens for magnifying the target, which includes adjusting means for varying the angularity of the sight vertically relative to a gun barrel on which the sight is mounted to vary the angular relationship vertically, of the line of sight through the lens relative to 10 the axis of the gun barrel, thereby to obtain the proper elevation of the gun for targets at different ranges, and which, while practical and entirely capable of general use, embodies in particular a construction such that it may be man- 15 ufactured and sold at a price so low as to enable its use, from an economic standpoint, on guns within the lower price range, especially on toy guns such as air rifles.

The present sight includes a tube simulating 20 in appearance the tube or casing of a standard In connection with such a sight, other objects of the invention are: to provide a tube or casing which simulates the tube or casing of a standard telescopic sight and which is of low production cost; to provide an exceptionally simple, low

35 production cost cam means for adjusting the angularity of the tube vertically relative to a gun barrel with which the sight is associated; to provide a cam means which serves also as a rear mounting for the tube, and, generally speak- 40 ing, to provide a sight and mounting means therefor which, despite their simplicity and low production cost, are sturdy and durable and capable of readily being applied to different guns with ease and facility.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully del 0 scribed, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention 55 applied to an air rifle.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the sight removed from the gun.

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line 4 4 5 of Figure 1.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts in the different gures of the drawing.

According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the present instance, the sight includes a barrel, designated generally as A which may be of any suitable length and diameter and of any suitable shape and which may be formed in any suitable manner from any suitable material. Preferably, however, said barrel is of cylindrical shape in cross section and has its forward end portion of enlarged diameter and is formed by rolling the same from suitable sheet metal,

leaving the longitudinal edges of the barrel free and either abutting or disposed in overlapping relationship, whereby it is of exceptionally low production cost.

In the enlarged diameter forward end portion of the barrel A is suitably mounted a magnifying lens, while at or near the rear end of said barrel is provided a suitable peep sight 2 which, in the present instance, is comprised by a small aperture in a cap-piece 3 which is engaged over and closes the rear end of said barrel A, said cap-piece having, if desired, an eye-piece 4 of rubber or other suitable material frictionally engaged thereover or mounted thereon in any other suitable manner.

It is known that a simple convex lens of slight convexity, that is, of great focal length as compared with its diameter, will produce at or near its focus a magnified image of a distant object. The enlarged diameter forward end portion of the barrel A provides for accommodating a lens l of relatively large diameter, and said lens is of great focal length and is disposed so that its focus is approximately at the peep sight 2. Ac-4 cordingly, distant targets viewed through the sight will be clearly discernible.

The lens l may be mounted in the barrel A in any suitable manner. In the present instance, said lens is mounted in a dished disk 5 which may be pressed from sheet metal and which may be retained in the barrel A by direct frictional contact therewith. Preferably, however, the barrel A is indented as indicated at 6 to provide a stop or stops to be engaged by the rear edge of the disk 5, and an expansible ring 'l is inserted in the barrel against the front edge of the disk 5.

A simple arrangement thus is provided for securely holding the lens I Within the barrel A in a predetermined position longitudinally of said barrel, preferably a short distance rearwardly of the front end of said barrel so that the said front end of the barrel serves as a light shield for the lens.

Associated with the lens I is a reticle 8 for cooperation with the peep sight 2 to define the line of sight through the lens. As shown, the reticle 8 may readily be formed as part of the stamped or pressed disk 5.

'I'he enlarged diameter forward portion of the barrel A is provided with a suitable clamp for holding the telescope to the barrel of the gun G. This clamp may be of any desired construction, but in the example shown consists of an inverted U-shaped piece 9 suitably fastened to the underside of the barrel and a split clamping ring I0 pivoted thereto and designed to clampingly embrace the gun barrel.

At or near the rear end of the barrel A is a rear mounting means for said barrel which is effective to raise and lower the said rear end of said barrel to vary the angularity of the lens of sight through the lens I vertically relative to the axis of the gun barrel. In the example shown the said rear mounting means comprises a cam disk I2 pivotally mounted on a bracket I3 clamped upon the barrel A and cooperating with a cam follower I4 fastened to the gun G. The cam disk I2 is in the form of a sheet metal stamping having a marginal, inwardly directed lateral flange I5, and the cam follower I4, which may comprise either a single sheet metal stamping or a pair of stampings riveted or otherwise fastened together and includes linger portions IE overlying and underlying said marginal iiange I5,

as well as engaging the inner edge of said flange and the outer face of the cam disk, whereby the rear end portion of the barrel A is held against sidewise movement relative to the gun and whereby rotation of the cam disk results in raising or lowering the rear end portion of the barrel A relative to the gun.

The bracket I3 comprises a sheet metal stamping including a disk portion I'I from which extend upper and lower arms IB to be clamped upon the barrel A by a suitable fastener I9 connecting the free end portions of said arms, and` said disk portion, which is vertically disposed at one side of the barrel A, is provided with a maginal outwardly directed rib 20 against which the inner face of the cam disk I2, which also is vertically disposed, abuts. The cam disk is rotatably connected with the disk portion I1 of the bracket by a rivet 2| which may be separate from said cam disk and said bracket portion I1 or which may be formed as an integral part of either of said elements. In any event, the rivet in conjunction with the rib 2|] affords a firm support for the cam disk holding it against lateral tilting movements and permitting its free rotation about its horizontal pivot comprised by the rivet 2l.

One of the fingers I 6 of the cam follower I4 is provided with an index 22 overlying the front face of the cam disk I2, and the said front face of said cam disk is provided with calibrations 23 in feet or yards for cooperation with said index and so arranged on said cam disk that when any one of the same is, by rotation of the cam, brought into register with the index 22, the angularity of the sight, vertically, relative to the axis of the gun barrel, is such that the line of sight and the trajectory of the projectile intersect at a point a distance from the gun as indicated by the calibration on the cam disk which is in registry with the index 22. In this connection it will be understood, of course, that the cam disk I2 has a predetermined shape in accordance with the muzzle velocity of the gun with which the sight is used so that, for any given adjustment of said cam disk the line of sight and the trajectory of the projectile will intersect at a distance from the gun as indicated by the calibration `on the cam disk in registry with the index 22.

To facilitate rotatable adjustments of the cam disk I2, said cam disk is provided with a handle 24.

As will be apparent from the foregoing descrption considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, the present sight includes a small number of parts which are capable of being produced and assembled at very low cost, so that the sight may be produced and sold at a price commensurate with the price of cheaper firearms and particularly toy guns such as air rifles. At the same time, it is apparent that the sight is practical and capable of general use.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minordetails of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A sight for guns comprising a telescope simulating barrel, a magnifying lens and a cooperating reticle mounted within said barrel near its forward end, a peep sight carried by said barrel near its rear end, means for pivotally mounting said barrel upon a gun, a cam follower to be mounted on the gun, and a cam mounted on the barrel near its rear end for cooperation with said cam follower to mount the rear end of the barrel upon the gun for vertical adjustments responsive to actuation of said cam.

2. A sight for guns comprising a telescope simulating barrel, a magnifying lens and a cooperating reticle mounted in a forward portion of said barrel, a peep sight carried by said barrel near its rear end, means for pivotally mounting said barrel near its front end upon a gun, a cam follower to be mounted on the gun, a cam disk, and means mounting said cam disk vertically at one side of the barrel for rotation on a horizontal axis, said cam disk and said cam follower being interengaged whereby they are held against lateral movement and whereby, when the cam follower is iixedly mounted on a gun, rotation of the cam disk produces vertical angular adjustment of the barrel relative to the gun.

3. A sight for guns comprising a telescope simulating barrel, a magnifying lens in said barrel, a peep sight carried by said barrel rearwardly of said lens, a reticle for cooperation with said lens, means for effecting a front pivotal mounting said barrel upon a gun, a cam follower to be mounted on the gun, and a cam disk carried by said barrel for cooperation with said cam follower to provide a rear mounting for the barrel effective to angularly adjust said barrel vertically about its front pvot, said cam comprising a vertically disposed disk having a lateral marginal flange, and said cam follower having portions embracing said flange.

4. A sight for guns as set forth in claim 3 including a bracket mounted on the barrel, a horizontal pivotal connection between said bracket and the cam disk, and a circular rib on said bracket surrounding said pivotal connection concentric therewith and against which the cam has supporting bearing.

5. A sight as set forth in claim 3 in which the cam is calibrated and in which the cam follower includes an index for cooperation with the cam calibrations.

6. A sight for guns as set forth in claim 3 including a. bracket mounted on the barrel, a horizontal pivotal connection between said bracket and the cam disk, and means providing a circular bearing between said bracket and said cam disk concentric with and spaced outwardly from the pivot of said disk.

7. A sight as set forth in claim 3 in which the 5 movement relative to the cam follower and kis 10 vertically adjustable relative thereto by rotation of said cam disk.

THOMAS R. ARDEN. 

